Ninety Tigers, Seven Steps and One Bridge

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The Thai roads and minibuses are not made for people who have had only two hours sleep, not eaten and a hangover. For some reason, every half a kilometre or so there was a sharp rise and dip in the road. which gave me the rollercoaster stomach feeling. As well as this, there were seven Israelis having an incredibly in depth and loud argument about God Knows what. Thankfully I got though it without embarrassment.

I was really only coming to Kanchanaburi to stop off, originally. Then I found out that this town is the location for The Bridge Over the River Kwai, or The Death Bridge, as it is also commonly known. After checking in to my cosy guest house on the riverside, I decided to visit some of the local attractions. The first port of call was the Thai-Burma Railway Centre. This museum gave informative and stark reminders from World War II. I am not the most clued up person in this field, so it was nice to have a history lesson. Videos and pictures of the prisoners of war showed how horrific the conditions and treatment of these men were. An even more poignant reminder was across the road, where the Allied Cemetry lay. Almost seven thousand men had graves here, including soldieras from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands. It was a beautiful area, where it has been closely looked after by local gardeners. The flowers made this a warmer place making it less sad, and more of a reminder that these men are heroes. I enjoyed this experience because I felt I had learned something important.

Following my guide books directions I made for the bridge. The deceptive map made the journey at least three times longer than first thought. This was no problem because the the sleepy riverside town was peaceful and a lovely place for a stroll, while the sun was sinking. Eventually I arrived at the famous landmark. At first glance, it does not look like anything special. What makes it special is the manner it was originally constructed and its significance in history. The bridge was fully restored post-war, after the original bombing, made famous by the film. The setting was fantastic. A fast flowing river, floating homes and restaurants plus an amazing sunset to top it off. Certainly a ticked box, for a been there done that experience.

The following day I made for why I really came to see: The Erawan Waterfall. I had not been to any waterfalls on my journey, thus far, with this one apparently very special. This was also due to be my first journey on a Sawng-te-uw (local bus). These are pretty intimidating since I have to rely upon the guidance of non-English speaking locals to find the right bus, in the first place. The bus I was shown had a few tourists on, so even if it was the wrong one, we were all in the same boat. About twenty minutes into the journey I realised I had not been asked to pay for the journey. Locals seemed to be leaving the bus not paying a fee as well. I thought it was due to be my lucky day, and so did the girl sitting next to me, Jess. Halfway there, the bus stopped and the driver collected the money from us. So close yet so far. We could not complain, the bus only cost the equivalent to one whole pound. Jess and I also stepped off one stop early, only to be called back by the helpful driver. Only five minutes before we got off it started raining. The sort of rain that looked like it wanted to stay. At the entrance I bought a waterproof that was essentially a tent with holes for my head and arms. It made me look like a giant fluorescent orange but that was normal after we walked past many older continental Europeans in just speedos. An incredibly odd sight when we were still walking through jungle to get to the waterfall. These guys seem to have no shame.

We arrived at the first "step". I must explain that the waterfall consisted of seven tiers, or steps. Not considering the falls to be particularly large, I rocked up in flip-flops. How wrong I was. The distance was almost two kilometres uphill. The rain ended up being a blessing in disguise. The uphill trek was so arduous that I used the rain to freshen up. The waterproof became useless too since it held all the heat in and I became a walking sauna. The trek was hard. The path was well trodden but the rain had made areas incredibly slippery and some parts were very steep. Jess and I made it passed several of the steps, where many tourists bathed in the milky blue pools. We had decided it was now out mission to reach the top no matter what. A helpful German lady explained when we had reached step four, there was step half an hour left to the top, but it was worth the climb. With a sigh, we marched on. On the way, two monks casually drifted passed us. They seemed to be at complete ease with themselves. The hillside did not trouble them at all, whereas myself and Jess were beginning to tire. The waterfall as a whole was beautiful and when we reached the top it was a huge relief. From pictures I have seen, the falls were not as powerful as in the rainy season, losing some of its majesty. Still, it was definitely worth the climb.

Now, we had to to get back down. I have discovered, down is harder than up. My steps became more tired and lazy. At times where I needed to lift my leg high, I stumbled, not making the required height. Thankfully we made it to the second tier where the largest pool was located. The pool was appetizing yet we had to navigated passed the edges, where enormous fresh water carp roamed. These guys liked a nibble so confidence was the key. The slower and more scared one is, the more nibbling. I made it through with no problems, with Jess on the other hand, not happy at the situation. She even let out a scream at one point. The water was so refreshing. There were also some rocks where I could sit, and be showered by the cascading water. A little bit of heaven. Unfortunately, the last bus back to town was approaching, so we had little time to savour the fresh water treat. A great day out.

The fun did not stop there. I had booked a visit to the controversial "Tiger Temple". Approximately ninety tigers are raised here by monks and volunteers. Many sceptics believe the tigers are drugged to keep them quiet and sedate during tourist hours. Jess advised I should not go but I read there is no hard evidence of these claims. The monks' arguments are that the tigers are tired during high sun hours and have already been through their exercises, before the tourists get there. With the opportunity to meet tigers, I could not resist. I also could then formulate an opinion, of the situation, myself.

An hour on the back of a converted pick up truck and I arrived. The fee was a little steep (approximately twelve pounds) but it was too late to turn back now. My first sighting was of a young tiger being walked on a leash, like a dog, by a monk. The tiger was paraded around and available for photographs. This one did not seem drugged at all. On a couple of occasions, he or she bared its teeth, when slightly disgruntled at something. It took a couple of swipes at the monk too. If this is what the adults were like, it was due to be a terrifying experience. A wandered towards a pit area where four adult tigers were playing. The trainer was holding a stick with a plastic bag on the, which the tigers loved. They jumped into the water trying to get the plastic bag. Great entertainment where these enormous yet gorgeous creatures seemed to receive no signs of abuse. They had as much energy as I would expect tigers to have. Shortly after I discovered a small hut where the cubs were housed. These little guys were very cute. They acted like tame kittens. All they wanted was to have some attention. I even could stick my fingers through the cage with every confidence they would not bite. Following this I made for the "Tiger Canyon", I think it was called. Here were where the adult tigers were and the main area for photo opportunity. The tigers were chained up and most seemed very sleepy. They were not fussed about tourists touching them or having photos taken. This is where I think most of the accusations come from. I got no inkling they were dangerous and were a wild creature. Also, when led around to meet them, I only got about fifteen seconds with each tiger. Yes, a brilliant experiences, although it could have been much better. It all felt so impersonal. On the flip side, when it all was over, the tigers were asked to move by the monks. They had no trouble getting up and walking around. I still have to sit on the fence. With no hard evidence I cannot have any strong opinion. I left still wondering and it slightly marred my time there.

When I got back I wanted to get an early night. This is not the easiest task in Kanchanaburi. Every twenty minutes, huge slow Karaoke boats floated by. Some pumped out awful voices with renditions of Celine Dion or heavy base house music. Luckily, there did not seem to be many bookings for my last night so it stopped by nine o'clock, whereas they would usually go on till midnight. I got a peaceful night sleep to make the trip to the old Thai stronghold of Ayutthaya.

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Comments

[tim]

Hope you slept under a mosquito net
The sixth step looks like Gunung Ledang. Ahh- the butterflies. Tell us about the Mekong soon